FTSE flat after Slovak vote blow October 12, 2011 The FTSE 100 was flat this morning after Slovak lawmakers rejected a plan to expand the Eurozone rescue fund and the US earnings season kicked off with disappointing results. Slovakia’s decision rattled world markets as the plan — which would see Greece saved from economic abyss through new loans — is central to hopes that [...]
A sound pound is nowhere to be found October 11, 2011 ALPARI JAMES HUGHES The pound has come back into focus at the start of the week after last week’s surprise announcement of further asset purchases by the Bank of England. Monday’s fall in sterling was in part due to MPC policymakers suggesting that the extra £75bn of QE announced last week could well be the [...]
Hot topics this week October 10, 2011 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT BAREFOOT running, toning shoes, green tea… there’s a lot that’s being debated at the moment. In this week’s column, I’m separating the truth from the false on some current hot topics. BAREFOOT RUNNING IS BETTER FOR YOU THAN RUNNING IN TRAINERS: FALSE This is probably the most hotly debated exercise topic [...]
Easy money October 6, 2011 • Bank stuns markets with £75bn more QE • ECB to boost liquidity with €40bn bond buy-up • Osborne poised to give credit to private firms SIR Mervyn King, the Bank of England governor, stunned markets by turning Britain’s electronic printing presses back on yesterday, as he announced a second round of quantitative easing (QE) worth [...]
Another low for the FTSE as banks and miners take a hit October 4, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index hit a 15-month closing low yesterday, with banks and commodity stocks leading a broad-based sell-off, as growing doubts over Greece’s ability to stave off a debt default triggered fears of financial turmoil. The UK benchmark ended down 131.06 points, or 2.6 per cent, at 4,944.44, its lowest close since 5 July [...]
Wall St bounces despite volatility October 4, 2011 THE Standard & Poor’s 500 brushed up against a bear market yesterday, but investors rushed in to buy technology and other beaten-down sectors and the index posted its largest gain in more than a week. The broad US market index has fallen nearly 18 per cent in the past four months, hurt by sluggish economic [...]
Bernanke fails to rule out QE3 October 4, 2011 IN A testimony to the US Congress yesterday, Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke largely rehashed language used in recent speeches, such as his address at the Jackson Hole symposium in August and his speech to the Economic Club of Minnesota on 8 September. However, forex market reactions leaned more on what the Fed chairman didn’t [...]
S&P falls to bear market over Greek fears October 4, 2011 US stocks have fallen steeply, sending the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 index sliding into bear market territory, as investors digested the eurozone decision to delay Greece’s the next tranche of aid. Fears over deepening problems in Europe’s financial system have contributed to equity losses and increased volatility in the past several months, leaving the [...]
Bernanke pledges help for weak recovery October 4, 2011 The Federal Reserve is prepared to take further steps to help an economic recovery that is “close to faltering”, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has said. Citing anaemic employment, depressed confidence and financial risks from Europe, Bernanke urged lawmakers not to cut spending too quickly in the short term even as they grapple with trimming the [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WHAT CENTRAL BANK DECISIONS DO YOU EXPECT? October 2, 2011 LUIGI SPERANZA | BNP PARIBAS “Despite Eurozone inflation rising sharply from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent we remain of the opinion that the ECB will act boldly in the meeting this week. We expect a 25 basis point rate cut, the announcement of a 12-month LTRO and possibly a new covered bond purchase [...]